Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Wonder what interesting vintage things we will see today. If you enjoy antiques, drop by Coloradolady's at http://coloradolady.blogspot.com.

Clothing and other items made from feed sacks were popular during the forties when there were shortages of both goods and money. People were in the mode of "making do or do without". Not only did chicken feed come in cloth bags but cattle and horse feed as well. Flour was packed in cloth bags which could withstand lots of washing. In fact, today some are claiming they are using cup towels made from flour sacks.Later burlap type bags were used and came in printed designs. Neighbors would trade feed sacks to have enough for a garment. A lot of times the feed sack scraps were used in quilting. They were so durable and lasted much longer. When you were sleeping under one of the quilts, you could try to pick out the fabric that at one time was your dress.

My sisters and I wore clothes made from these type feed bags for several years. Our mother was a great seamstress. She also made her own clothes. We were always excited to get another sack of feed. A new dress would be coming.

I love this post LV. Everything had a purpose and was re-purposed as something else. This is how it should be. Too much waste today. I love the stack of folded sacks. What charming prints. No wonder you girls got excited about a new dress.

Love this post. My mom and grandma used to tell of how my mom wore dresses made of flour sacks. When they died, I found a quilt top made by my great grandma that had never been quilted so I had it finished. It's all flour sack material and is done in a one inch postage stamp pattern. I grew up hearing how they had to make do and how they did it. How they had to ration and share with family and neighbors. They would always tell me how lucky I was to be growing up in a better time, but sometimes I would wonder if I had. The trials and hard times brought them closer and made them creative. And the fact that almost everyone was in the same boat, I think, made it easier to bare.Thanks for sharing this!Hugs- Tete

Oh yes! I love finding feed sack fabrics! I have a few and I have a quilt that my dad's aunt had created from some sack cloth. fabrics. I also have a little collection of burlap bags too. Are the sack cloths that you showed from your mom? What a great photo of your mom.

Hi LV, this is a wonderful post! This is a silly question, I know, but did some of the feed sacks come in calico? Was it a marketing tool to use different fabrics, and is that how neighbors did their trades? Like chicken feed for a certain year was blue calico or something like that?

I love all of your photos and your valuable info. Thanks so much, and have a wonderful weekend!

Love your post! I remember when I was little and flour came in pretty fabric. Mom would always let me choose which one we were bringing home. Now I look for flour sack quilts on eBay! Lol. I've tried to explain to my girls about flour sacks and they just can't get it!! Hope you're doing well!-April

This brought back such memories. The first skirt I ever made was with feedsack material on a treadle sewing machine in school. I love the print of old feedsacks. The assorted colors and designs are amazing. ~~Sherry~~

Oh, LV...this brings back so many memories. My mom could sew so well, too, and made all my clothes most of the time I was in school.I don't remember having any sack dresses but we had a lot of cup towels made from the sacks. I am sure she made herself dresses..I was born on the last day of 1937, so she may have made little dresses for me back then, too.Thanks for the wonderful memories.If ever I get to your part of the country, I will give you a call and buy your lunch! :) I would love to visit with you.hugs, bj

Wow, what a lot of beautiful old fabrics. My mother was a seamstress, and all the clothes I had when I was growing up, my mom had sewn. Many times it was the so-called "carpet rags" as she conjured with, so it was pretty dresses and skirts for me. Nowadays do not exist like that. I still have it in their blood. I buy way too big things at flea markets Ju. I am most interested if it is of great matrial Now I sew a turquoise suede vest out of a jacket. Pictures I will show later.HugsElisabeth

Dear LV the memories your post brought back today. And the white made the softest underwear. Panties, slips and camisoles. My mother was a great seamstress and she taught me how to sew early on. My grandmother sewed for the public and I learned some really complicated things from her. Ruffles, shirring, upholstery anything going she could do. Thanks for sharing.QMM

What a lovely post, LV. I loved reading about the history of feed bags used as fabric. I don't know if it was done in my part of the world but possibly since the war years were lean years. Lovely vintage story and photo!Grace